Broccoli Casserole

This delicious broccoli casserole is made with fresh broccoli and a homemade cream sauce, then topped with a buttery, cheesy breadcrumb topping. I’ve been making this recipe for over 10 years and it’s always the hit of the meal!

This Broccoli Casserole is too good to miss!

Besides the sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and roast turkey, one dish that is always on my family’s Thanksgiving table is broccoli casserole. Ever since I first made this broccoli casserole recipe years ago, it has been my family’s favorite holiday side dish. Thanksgiving dinner isn’t complete without it!

If you’re looking for an alternative to the traditional broccoli casserole made with canned cream of mushroom soup and mayo, then this is the recipe for you. Made from scratch, this broccoli casserole has fresh broccoli, cheese and an easy homemade cream sauce, which, combined with sautéed mushrooms, is so much better than condensed soup from a can.

This broccoli casserole recipe is now the one I make every year, and it’s become a favorite of many readers as well. I think you’ll love it too!

This broccoli casserole is incredible. I’ve made it a few times now and it’s a total success.

Joyce

Ingredients

How to Make Broccoli Casserole

This recipe is a bit more time-intensive than using canned cream of mushroom soup and a Ritz cracker topping, but I promise you it’s worth it because the end result is so much better!

Cook the broccoli by boiling it in a large pot of water for about 4 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the broccoli. It should still be crisp-tender after boiling since it will soften up more as the casserole bakes in the oven.

Sauté mushrooms and onions in 1 tablespoon of butter until the veggies soften. Then transfer the mushrooms and onions to a large bowl with the cooked broccoli.

Make the creamy sauce. Add 4 tablespoons of butter to the saucepan. Whisk in flour until smooth and cook, whisking constantly, for 30 seconds. Then whisk in the milk and half and half. Bring to a low simmer and continue to whisk constantly until thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the salt, pepper, and plain Greek yogurt.

Add the sauce to the bowl with the broccoli, along with an egg, shredded cheddar cheese, and breadcrumbs. Mix and then pour into a baking dish.

Add the topping and bake, covered with foil for 30 minutes. Then uncover and bake 15-20 minutes more, until topping is lightly browned and casserole is hot.

Find the full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and complete instructions in the recipe card below.

Recipe Variations

• Greek yogurt substitutes: You can replace the Greek yogurt with mayonnaise or sour cream. Readers have tried both with good success.
• Breadcrumbs: I like to make homemade bread crumbs to top my casserole, as it only takes a few minutes. I’ve included directions in the notes below the recipe. Store-bought breadcrumbs or crushed Ritz crackers can also be used.
• Frozen broccoli: Fresh broccoli is best in this recipe, but you may use frozen if necessary.
• Lighten it up: You can replace the half and half with whole milk. Alternatively, for a richer sauce you can substitute heavy cream for the half and half.
• Double recipe: If you want to double this recipe, bake it in two separate baking dishes. A double recipe will not fit in a single 9×13-inch dish.
• Add rice: To make broccoli rice casserole, stir in 1 cup of cooked rice to the broccoli mixture before baking.

More favorite Thanksgiving side dishes:

• Green Bean Casserole
• Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole
• Butternut Squash Salad
• Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
• Crockpot Mashed Potatoes
• Cranberry Sauce
• Dinner Rolls

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5 from 17 ratings

Broccoli Casserole From Scratch

Servings: 10 servings

Prep Time: 45 minutes mins

Cook Time: 45 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Author: Kristine Roseblatt

This delicious broccoli casserole is filled with fresh broccoli and a homemade cream sauce, then topped with a buttery, cheesy breadcrumb topping. I've been making this recipe for over 10 years and it's always the hit of our Thanksgiving dinner! This recipe is a great make ahead side dish, and I've included make ahead directions in the notes below.

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Ingredients

• ▢ 2 ½ pounds broccoli florets, cut into bite-size pieces (about 10 cups)
• ▢ 6 tablespoons butter, divided
• ▢ 1 cup finely chopped cremini mushrooms
• ▢ 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• ▢ ¼ cup flour
• ▢ 1 cup milk, whole or 2% preferred
• ▢ ½ cup half and half
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ ½ cup plain Greek yogurt*, full fat or 2%
• ▢ 1 egg, lightly beaten
• ▢ 1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese, divided
• ▢ 1 ¼ cups whole-wheat breadcrumbs, homemade* or store-bought, divided

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly spray a 3 quart baking dish (or 9×13-inch baking dish) with cooking spray.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add broccoli and boil for 4 minutes. Transfer to a colander, rinse with cold water, and drain. Place broccoli in a large bowl.
• Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to the bowl with the broccoli.
• In the same saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, for about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and half and half. Bring to a low simmer and continue to whisk constantly until thickened. Remove from the heat and whisk in the salt, pepper, and Greek yogurt.
• Pour the sauce into the bowl with the broccoli, mushrooms and onion. Add the egg, 1 cup of the cheddar cheese, and ½ cup of the breadcrumbs. Stir to combine. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
• Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and stir into the remaining ¾ cup breadcrumbs. Stir in the remaining ½ cup cheddar. Sprinkle breadcrumb topping over the casserole.
• Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15-20 minutes more, until topping is lightly browned and casserole is hot. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

• Greek Yogurt: You can substitute the plain Greek yogurt with mayonnaise or sour cream, if desired.
• To make homemade breadcrumbs: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. In a food processor, process 4 slices whole-wheat bread until you have fine crumbs. Lay crumbs on a rimmed baking sheet and place in the preheated oven until dry and very lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Stir after 10 minutes to help crumbs brown evenly. Unused breadcrumbs can be stored in the freezer.
• Topping: The bread crumbs can be substituted with crushed Ritz crackers, if desired.
• Make Ahead: You can assemble the casserole one day ahead, refrigerate, and bake it the next day. Let the casserole sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before putting it in the oven to take the chill off. Then add 15-20 minutes to the bake time since the casserole will be cold from the refrigerator.
• Make Ahead Option #2: My family usually assembles and bakes this casserole the day before Thanksgiving, and then we reheat it right before Thanksgiving dinner. To Reheat: Bake, covered with foil, in a 350° F oven until hot, about 40-45 minutes, then uncover for 10 minutes to crisp the topping.
• Oven space tip: My family bakes this broccoli casserole (and our other side dishes) after the turkey comes out of the oven on Thanksgiving. The turkey rests for 45 minutes while the side dishes bake.
• Double recipe: If you want to double this recipe, bake it in two separate baking dishes. A double recipe will not fit in a single 9×13-inch dish.
• Recipe slightly modified 6/22/24 to call for sautéing the onions with the mushrooms.

Serving: 1/10 recipe, Calories: 272kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 61mg, Sodium: 363mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 6g

Nutrition information is an estimate.

Cuisine: American

Course: Side Dish

Author: Kristine Roseblatt

Tried this recipe?Mention @kristines_kitchen on Instagram or tag #kristineskitchenblog.

I originally shared this recipe in November 2014. Post updated October 2017 and October 2024 with new photos and more tips.